Swimwear design and construction

Abstract

A wetsuit ( 101 ) is provided which comprises (a) a first central region ( 125, 127 ) comprising a first material and having a first thickness; and (b) a second lateral region comprising a second material and having a second thickness. The buoyancy per unit area of the first region is greater than the buoyancy per unit area of the second region.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wetsuit, comprising:
 an upper portion with a first central region comprising a flexible neoprene front buoyancy enhancer and a flexible neoprene back buoyancy enhancer, each configured to extend from a neck region of the wetsuit to a crotch region of the wetsuit, and a first material having a first thickness and first density p 1 ; 
 a second lateral region between the front buoyancy enhancer and the back buoyancy enhancer and longitudinally positioned in a middle portion approximately between a rib cage region and a hip region of the wetsuit comprising a second material having a second thickness and second density p 2 ; 
 a lower portion of the wetsuit configured to extend at least to a swimmer's thighs comprising a low density material configured to improve buoyancy of the wetsuit about a swimmer's legs; 
 wherein p 2 >p 1 , 
 wherein the wetsuit comprises a maximum material thickness of 5.0 mm or less, 
 wherein the buoyancy per unit area of the first central region is greater than the buoyancy per unit area of the second lateral region, and 
 wherein the front buoyancy enhancer and the back buoyancy enhancer, in addition to the second lateral region on either side of a vertical centerline, provides additional buoyancy in a center of the wetsuit along a longitudinal axis located in the sagittal plane, configured to reduce mass in a chest of the wetsuit and configured to put a swimmer's body in a neutral body position relative to the swimmer's legs which also have increased buoyancy due to the lower portion of the wetsuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The wetsuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second materials are the same, and wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. 
     
     
       3. The wetsuit of  claim 1 , wherein the wetsuit upper portion is configured to extend from the shoulders to an abdomen of a user, the wetsuit middle portion is configured to extend from the abdomen to the hips of the user and the wetsuit lower portion is configured to extend from the hips to about the ankles of a user, and wherein the first central region is configured to extend down the center of the upper portion. 
     
     
       4. The wetsuit of  claim 3 , wherein the upper portion is equipped with a zipper. 
     
     
       5. The wetsuit of  claim 4 , wherein the first central region is symmetrically disposed about the zipper. 
     
     
       6. The wetsuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first central region has a maximum width, as measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first central region, within the range of about 2 inches to about 8 inches. 
     
     
       7. The wetsuit of  claim 3 , wherein the second lateral region comprises a coated textile. 
     
     
       8. The wetsuit of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-buoyant hydration bladder for the retention of thermoregulation fluids or a nutrition compartment for the retention of nutrients, or both. 
     
     
       9. The wetsuit of  claim 8 , wherein said non-buoyant hydration bladder or said nutrition compartment, or both is disposed within a pouch defined in said wetsuit. 
     
     
       10. The wetsuit of  claim 8 , wherein said non-buoyant hydration bladder or said nutrition compartment is equipped with a one-way valve to prevent the hydration bladder or the nutrition compartment from taking on air. 
     
     
       11. A wetsuit, comprising:
 an upper portion with a first central region comprising a flexible neoprene front buoyancy enhancer and a flexible neoprene back buoyancy enhancer, each configured to extend from a neck region of the wetsuit to a crotch region of the wetsuit, said first central region having a total width, as measured in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first central region located in the sagittal plane, within a range of about 2 inches to about 8 inches and comprising a first material having a first density p 1 ; 
 a second lateral region between said front buoyancy enhancer and back buoyancy enhancer, and longitudinally positioned in a middle portion approximately between a rib cage region and a hip region of the wetsuit, wherein second lateral region comprising a second material and having a second density p 2 ; wherein p 2 >p 1 ; and 
 a lower portion of the wetsuit configured to extend at least to a swimmer's thighs comprising a low density material configured to improve buoyancy of the wetsuit about a swimmer's legs; 
 wherein the wetsuit comprises a maximum material thickness of about 5.0 mm. 
 
     
     
       12. The wetsuit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 the first central region comprising anterior and posterior panels , wherein the material has a second rigidity greater than a first rigidity of the material utilized for any one or more of a chest, back, shoulder and arm panels. 
 
     
     
       13. The wetsuit of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one strip comprising:
 a strip material more rigid than a wetsuit material, disposed in each lateral region of a wetsuit torso to configured to promote rotation along the longitudinal axis of the swimmer's body. 
 
     
     
       14. The wetsuit of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one strip is about 2.0 to 3.0 inches wide. 
     
     
       15. The wetsuit of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one strip is further configured to be positioned between the hip region and a middle of the rib cage region of the wetsuit.